Sialoendoscopy: prognostic factors for endoscopic removal of salivary stones.

OBJECTIVE

To detect prognostic factors for successful sialoendoscopic removal of salivary stones.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

SETTING

Tertiary referral hospital.

PATIENTS

Forty-nine consecutive patients who underwent sialoendoscopy for sialolithiasis between January 1, 2008, and January 1, 2010, at University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

INTERVENTIONS

Diagnostic and interventional sialoendoscopy using local anesthesia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Stone removal rate, size, mobility, shape, and location, as well as clinical follow-up data.

RESULTS

Sixty-one percent (39 of 64) of all salivary stones were removed endoscopically. The cutoff point for endoscopic removal was between 5 and 6 mm in stone diameter. Small size, good mobility, round or oval, and distal location of a salivary stone were positive prognostic factors for sialoendoscopic removal, with sialolith mobility having the greatest effect in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Small size, good mobility, round or oval, and distal location of a salivary stone in the main duct predict significantly greater probability of endoscopic removal and consequently are positive prognostic factors.